Tourniquet



W. R. LIVINGSTON ETAL 2,571,451

TOURNIQUET Oct. 16, 1951 File-'d Deo. so, 1949 Patented Oct. 16, 1951 UNITED 'i' @ENCE TOURNIQUET Walter R. Livingston, Upper Darby, and Burton W. Hancox, Springiield, Pa.

Application December 30, 1949, Serial No. 136,082

4 Claims. (Cl. 12B-327) This invention relates to surgical appliances and more particularly to an improved tourniquet which is provided with means for controlling and localizing the pressure applied.

A tourniquet constructed in accordance with the present invention is characterized by a ilexible non-elastic band having an iniiatable rubbertube secured on one side thereof. The ends of the band may be fastened to each other by means of suitable clasps t0 provide a pressuretight, encircling member for some part of the anatomy. The rubber -tube may be infiated through a suitable valve and localized pressure is achieved by means of one or more slidable carriers having detachable buttons. Where a tourniquet in accordance with the present invention is intended to be applied to a patients head, suitable head and chin supporting straps may be readily attached to the tourniquet so that it may be properly maintained in position.

We have found that a tourniquet in which the pressure may be gradually controlled, especially when the tourniquet is deiiated, particularly lends itself to many forms of intravenous transfusions in securing laboratory blood specimens.

With the ordinary tourniquet customarily employed, it frequently happens that the sudden release of pressure in the tourniquet dislodges the hypodermic needle with very serious consequences. When pressure can bey gradually controlled, the possibility of such dislodgement taking place is reduced to a minimum.

A primary object of the invention therefore, is to provide in tourniquet construction a flexible non-expanding band or backing member to which there is secured around its inner periphery a hollow resilient tube member which can be inflated or deflated at will through suitable valve means.

A further object of the invention is to provide in a tourniquet of the type disclosed, an improved resilient pressure-applying member having a relatively thin pressure-applying face and a relatively thick back wall.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved head tourniquet assembly having suitable localized pressure-applying means and suitable head and chin straps.

Further objects will be apparent from the speciiication and drawings in which:

Fig. 1 shows a head tourniquet constructed in accordance with the invention, as applied to a patient;

Fig. 2 is a perspective of the head tourniquet shown in Fig. 1;

the patients anatomy.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional detail as seen at 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional detail as seen at 4 4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a perspective of the button and carrier by which localized press-ure may be obtained;

Fig. 6 is an exploded View of a modied form of the button of Fig. 5;

Fig. '7 is a side elevation partly sectioned, of the button shown in Fig. 6; and

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary perspective, as seen at 3-8 of Fig. 2.

Referring now more'particularly to the drawings, a tourniquet assembly constructed in accordance with our present invention comprises an outer backing band or strap I0 which is of leather or of a similar flexible but non-elastic material. lThe ends of strap I9 are provided with a suitable clasping and adjusting means such as an eye I2 and a clamp I3. A hollow inatable tube Id is vulcanized to a canvas backing member I5 which is in turn cemented to the inner face of band I0, as seen in the drawings.

The cross-sectional structure of the tube Id (Figs. 3 and 4) is of particular importance in eliminating roll of the tourniquet. The outer wall Illa of the tube I4 is substantially flat and relatively thick in cross-sectional area. The inner wall Mib is of a convex structure and the thickness thereof gradually tapers to a minimum at'the apex or lateral center Illc of the wall. When the tourniquet is applied to the patients head or some other part of the anatomy, it is important that the tourniquet remain in its proper position. If there is a tendency for the inflated tube to roll or move in a lateral direction, the value of the Vtourniquet is` obviously lost. We have found that the particular shape and conguration of the resilient rubber tube eliminates'any tendency for-the tourniquet to roll and in addition, enhances stability since the deformation of the tube as pressure is applied is such that the outer wall Illa tends to hold its shape and there is only a slight widening of the Contact area between the inner wall Illb and This characteristic is enhanced by the fact that inner wall Ilb is progressively thinner towards the apex of the tube as seen in Figs. 3 and 4.

Fig. 4 also illustrates a valve which may be used for inflating and deating the tube I4. This valve is provided with a stem I5 by means of which it may be opened to deflate tube I4. A suitable cap I'I is threaded on the valve body I8 3 in order to prevent accidental movement of valve stem I6.

The outer periphery of band is provided with a plurality of snaps |9, I9 to which a positioning strap device may be attached. Naturally, the nature of the positioning strap depends upon the part of the patients anatomy to which the tourniquet will be applied. We have however, illustrated the type of strap that would be used in the case of a head tourniquet. Such a positioning device comprises a chin strap acljustable by means of buckle 2| and slidably secured to a pair of looped straps 22, 22 which are in turn secured to the band I0 at spaced distances. The head strap 23 is also adjustable by means of buckle 24 and is similarly secured to a pair of looped straps 25, 25 provided with snaps for direct attachment to the lower loops 22 or for direct attachment to snaps I9 on the periphery of the tourniquet.

Localized pressure on arteries or other limited anatomical areas is achieved by means of button which is snapped to a carrier 3| in turn slidable around the periphery of the tourniquet. The carrier 3| may be removed entirely if desired, by squeezing it together and removing the ring 32 from the hook 33 (shown in Figs. 5 and 6). In addition, the round button 30 which is of rubber or of any suitable material, may be replaced by an oval button 34 which may or may not have a concave face 35. It Will be understood that a supply of buttons will be available with each tourniquet assembly so that the surgeon may select the proper size, shape and resiliency for the particular application. Also, any desired number of the carriers 3| and buttons 30 may be employed simultaneously.

Heretofore, no satisfactory tourniquet has been developed for application to a patients skull, largely because a conventional tourniquet which has equal pressure around its entire circumference may lead to paralyzed nerves and crushed tissues. Such a tourniquet applied to the skull soon causes great pain and discomfort and in many cases is entirely ineffective due to the complexity of the arterial system and the surface contours of the skull.

In order to overcome the above disadvantage, We provide localized pressure by means of one or more of the carriers 3| and buttons 30 and We can control the pressure in the tourniquet to a degree heretofore impossible. One or more of the buttons 3D may be selected and so located that the exact artery or arteries involved may receive the desired pressure. This ability to localize and control the pressure in a skull tourniquet is of great importance and permits the tourniquet to be applied for greater lengths of time and also enables higher pressures to be employed. The looped construction of the head and chin strap assemblies is also desirable in permitting proper positioning of the tourniquet to various areas on theV patients head and also facilitates the ability to adjust the tourniquet to head sizes and shapes of great divergence.

We have thus described an improved tourni- Number quet which is inexpensive to manufacture, suitable fcr a wide range of applications, readily portable and adjustable, and above all one which may be retained in the proper position for extended periods of time.

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

l. A head tourniquet assembly comprising a flexible non-elastic band, an inflatable resilient tube secured around the inner periphery of said band, means for circumferentially adjusting the diameter of said band and tube, valve means for inlating and deflating the tube, at least one looped strap detachably secured to said band, a ilexible non-elastic head strap slidably attached to said looped strap at one end and connected to a diametrically opposite portion of the band at the other end, a looped strap detachably connected to the band and depending in an opposite axial direction from the band, and a chin strap slidably attached to said looped strap at one end and secured to a diametrically opposite portion of the band at the other end.

2. A tourniquet assembly constructed in accordance with claim 1, in which the resilient tube has a relatively thick annular Wall adjacent the non-elastic band, and a relatively thin annular Wall formed integrally with the thick wall and joined thereto by gradually tapering end walls integral with said thick and thin walls and gradually decreasing in thickness from said thick wall toward said thin wall, said thin wall adapted to press against the patients head, whereby rolling of the tourniquet on the head is prevented.

3. In a tourniquet, a flexible non-elastic band, a resilient inatable tube secured to the inner periphery of said band, said tube having a relatively thick ilat annular Wall adjacent the band and a relatively thin annular Wall formed integrally with said relatively thick wall and joined thereto by gradually tapering end walls integral with said thick and thin walls and which gradually decrease in thickness from said thick wall toward said thin Wall, said thin wall adapted to press against the patients anatomy, whereby rolling of the tourniquet on the patients anatomy is prevented, and valve means connected to said tube for inating and deflating the same.

4. A tourniquet as defined in claim 3 in which the integral thin Wall is arcuately convex with respect to said thick flat Wall.

WALTER R. LIVINGSTON. BURTON W. HANCOX.

`REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Rounseville Feb. 27, 1894 Buschenfeldt June 30, 1936 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Great Britain Mar. 3, 1910 Number 

